Defiant Children: A Clinican's Manual for Assessment and Parent Training

This is a very useful book with specific and practical tips. It provides the psychologist with detailed information not only to help parents with defiant children but also as a general parental guide to a healthy relationship with their young children. The layout of the manual is very clear and it makes it easy to put the ideas into practical sessions with the parents. Eventhough there is no doubt of the validity of the large number of studies and experience behind the theoretical context of the book I had to adapt the content of this book both to my own cultural setting and to my knowledge and believes on parental training and child care.

Prior to purchasing this book, I had read some excellent techniques that Dr. Barkley had recommended when working with children with ADHD. I then purchased this book and began implementing the books training program with the families that I work with. The thing that I appreciated about this book is the care the Dr. Barkely takes in educating the parents on ADHD, helping to improve the relationship between parent and child and then looking to implement a behavior plan to improve the childs acting out behaviors. By doing this, it provided a more comprehensive parent training plan rather than solely implementing a behavior modification plan. At times Dr. Barkley's explainations can be a little blunt which may put off some parents who are reading this as a self help guide. Otherwise, it is an exellent resource for those therapists needing clinical guidance in implementing an effective parental training program.

The text was sent quickly to me and it was in excellent condition, as the seller reported.

Dr. Barkley's book (and the recently-published "Defiant Teens") is the current state-of-the-art treatment for oppositional-defiant children. I have used Dr. Barkley's methods with many families struggling to cope positively with an OD child. Our community frequently requests parenting workshops, and I always find myself turning to Barkley's works as a way to focus my presentations. There are many books for clinicians on this subject. For a research-based, instantly useable, positively-focused reference, buy this one.